UK workers given pay rise of just £1

Full-time workers have seen their pay rise by just £1 a week in the last year, shocking new figures show.

The Office of National Statistics found that the average pay went up 0.1 per cent, the lowest rise since records began in 1997. Gender pay gaps have fallen to 19.1 per cent, the smallest since records began. However, that was because of a steep fall in men’s pay rather than an increase in women’s pay.

Furthermore, the £1 pay-rise for full time UK workers actually works out as a fall of 1.6 per cent after inflation is taken in to account.

David Cameron said: “There’s still more work to be done – but the ONS has found this Government has delivered the lowest ever pay gap between men and women.

“There’s also been a 4.1 per cent pay rise for people who’ve been in work for more than a year. Our long term plan is working for Britain.”

Between 2009 and 2014, wages rose by an average of 1.4 per cent each year, but in the year to April this year pay was only up by mere 0.1 per cent.

Kathryn Nawrockyi, Opportunity Now Director, Business in the Community, said: “It’s good to see that the gender pay gap has narrowed in 2014 after widening last year – the reversal has become a U-turn. However, the gap has only narrowed by 0.7 per cent, which indicates that progress on reducing the gap remains frustratingly slow.

“When coupled with the fact that earnings growth is still well below the rate of inflation, women continue to lose out as they are more likely to be in low-paying jobs and trapped in in-work poverty. If we are to ensure that everyone – men and women – is able to earn a fair reward for their work, employers must take action to tackle this now.”